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gardenfairy22

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26
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Norfolk
Thanks to everyone on this forum for the support and advice over the past 4 months which helped me get such good results. I had my first check since dx in January 09 today. My HBA1C has dropped from 8.1 to 6.5, my fatty liver isn´t quite so fatty and I have lost 12 lbs in weight, with corresponding drops in BP and cholestrol The nurse said I don´t need to lower my BG, just keep it steady, but I intend to keep trying, especially as she has said she will prescribe strips and lancets. I am aiming for the 5´s club, but it may take a while. She did make a good case for taking Metaformin but if there is a side effect going, I always get it, and react badly to most drugs, is it worth giving it a go?
I´m really chuffed! :D
Carole
 
Good for you Carole.

Regards, Tubs.
 
Great stuff, Carole. You've already exceeded expectations by getting down to 6.5%, but there's no reason you can't get into the 5's next time.
I don't take metformin so I'm not going to pretend I can offer expert advice there.
Keep on doin' wot cha doin'.

fergus
 
Well done. I love metformin and the side effects are gone now. it is a great appetite supressant which is why I like it but with Hba1c like that I can see why you don't want to :D
 
gardenfairy22 said:
My HBA1C has dropped from 8.1 to 6.5, my fatty liver isn´t quite so fatty and I have lost 12 lbs in weight, with corresponding drops in BP and cholestrol The nurse said I don´t need to lower my BG, just keep it steady, but I intend to keep trying, especially as she has said she will prescribe strips and lancets. I am aiming for the 5´s club, but it may take a while. Carole
Click to expand...

Great stuff Carole - Keep it up you'll get there!

I did and it was much easier than I thought it would be.

Best Wishes - John
 
Again, thanks for the encouraging comments, I really would appreciate more feedback on the Metaformin query, is it just a question of getting used to it, will it actually help in lowering numbers and/or weight? These are my priorities at present. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Carole
 
I don't take metformin anymore, but I did try it. Completely did in my digestive system, but I had IBS to start with, so that may have made it worse.

The worst side effects for anyone, I think, are the upset stomach and diarrhoea, but that goes away for most people. So there's no reason not to give it a try at least. If it's too much for you, then you can stay no-drug.

It says it can cause lactic acidosis, but there was a study done in Canada (I don't have a reference handy, sorry) that showed that lactic acidosis was as prevalent amongst people not on metformin as on metformin, and it's a rare condition anyway. But at this point it doesn't look like metformin actually causes it.

All in all, it's probably the safest anti-diabetic drug around, and it has been around long enough so that if there were long-term side effects, they'd have shown up by now.

Congrats on the A1c and the weight loss, too!
 
Hi, I did have problems with metformin, in the beginning and was only on 1 a day. I took it with food but my stomach was very dodgy for a few weeks. I persevered and it went away. I am now on 3 a day and I have had no problems adapting. I do think it help my BS levels a little but as I am upping the exercise and following a low carb diet it is hard to tell what factors are helping the most.
Someone more knowledgeable than me will answer your question a lot better than I can but I am sure that 1 metformin [500mg] doesn't have too much of an effect on BS but will lower it slightly. Apparently it is 3 a day that will start to impact on your BS levels, but 1 a day will certainly help as an appetite surpressant. Why don't you try them for a while and if you don't like it stop as you are in a fortunate enough situation to be able to do this? :D
 
I am reading this and have tried to find answers to the "Why take Metformin" if one can control the Diabetes on diet and get good & stable numbers without? My doc have said that "he might still go down the Metformin road", but is there someone here who can explain to me the benefits of going on Metformin in any dose, if the diet control is working?? Why are the doctors insisting on handing out drugs??

Thanks for any help / advice.


Alice
 
Vikingepigen said:
I am reading this and have tried to find answers to the "Why take Metformin" if one can control the Diabetes on diet and get good & stable numbers without? My doc have said that "he might still go down the Metformin road", but is there someone here who can explain to me the benefits of going on Metformin in any dose, if the diet control is working?? Why are the doctors insisting on handing out drugs??

Thanks for any help / advice.


Alice
Click to expand...

Metformin has cardiovascular benefits alongside the BG lowering and son et lumiere.

It works principally on insulin resistance and works synergystically with growing and using muscle. Thus if you have high IR it can help you reduce it faster than if you don't use it. You'll probably get there just the same, only slower.
 
Hi VP,

The other big benefit of metformin is that it reduces the amount of glucose that your liver produces. On of the big problems that most type 2s have is that the liver, which is supposed to balance blood glucose levels by producing small amounts when needed, loses the ability to calculate how much is needed. In some people the liver can produce as much as 3 times more glucose than it should. Metformin can reduce hepatic glucose production by as much as a third.
 
Dennis said:
Hi VP,

The other big benefit of metformin is that it reduces the amount of glucose that your liver produces. On of the big problems that most type 2s have is that the liver, which is supposed to balance blood glucose levels by producing small amounts when needed, loses the ability to calculate how much is needed. In some people the liver can produce as much as 3 times more glucose than it should. Metformin can reduce hepatic glucose production by as much as a third.
Click to expand...

Excellent point! Yes I suspect the culprit here is IR within the control circuit. I've never been offered metformin but find that Alpha Lipoic Acid has a similar effect in taming my liver. It's expensive and milder in effect but without the side effects. Available OTC if you can find it

http://www.thevitaminservice.com/home.asp?info=Home

http://www.bodykind.com/default.asp

I don't think this has the same cardiovascular benefits but it's an antioxidant and can improve neuropathy. Many drugs have beneficial side effects as well as bad ones
 
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